Indian Street Food
September 15, 2008
Hot dogs carts, Taco and Burrito stalls line the corners of American streets. Stir fried noodles, Momos and rolls add brightness to the Asian roads. Indian street food cannot be categorized so easily because of its endless varieties.
Every state of India has its own variation of street food. If I start listing all of them, then it will certainly become an encyclopedia of chaat. So I will highlight the most common and famous street foods of India.
Bhel Puri- This is a combination of rice puffs, sev (these are thin fine crunchy fried tiny noodle. Well noodle is not the right word but it looks like a packet of raw noodles when stamped on) boiled sliced potatoes, coriander and a variety of chutneys. It is sweet, sour and spicy.
Sev Puri- This is similar to Bhel puri but doesn’t have the rice puffs. It has papdi which are hard, crunchy, disc-shaped chips. This is too made with variety of chutneys, raw onions, lime juice and coriander. Sometimes raw mangoes are also added depending on the season.
Dahi Puri- This is prepared similar to sev puri but here the specialty is the addition of chilled, sweetened yogurt.
Dahi Bhalla or Dahi Wada- Dahi denotes yogurt. Bhalla or wada is made of lentils that is deep fried and then soaked in water. This soft ball is next coated and dipped in chilled, sweetened yogurt and served with chutneys both sweet and spicy. This image is of Dahi Bhalla ready to be served.
Dahi Papdi- This is similar to sev puri but the puris are crushed and yogurt is added with the variety of spicy chutneys.
Dahi Kachori- This is a chaat made with yogurt. The kachori is a spicy, crisp savory which is filled with delicious spices which adds a unique taste to the whole dish.
Pani Puri- Puris here are small, crispy balls which are poked in the centre, filled with boiled lentils and then dipped in sweet chutney, spicy chutney and then dipped in tamarind water mixed with powdered spices like rock salt, dry ginger etc. This spicy, chilled water is stored in an earthen vessel. The vendor serves it to you in a small dish. You stand next to the vendor as he individually prepares each puri and adds it in your plate. The fun part of eating this is that you eat this puri with the water contained in it. One can gobble down twenty of these without even counting them.
Samosa- This is triangular shaped savory filled inside with potatoes or sometimes with peanuts and a whole lot of spices. This is too served with sweet and hot chutney.
Samosa Chaat – This is a combination of spices, chutneys, sev and samosa. Sometimes even yogurt is added to this to make this more mouth-watering.
Cholay Samosa- This is another variety of chaat. Here is samosa floats in spicy cholay which a curried chick peas.
Wada Pav- This is a delicacy as well as a common man’s food in the state of Maharashtra. It is basically a bread and potato sandwich. This is an Indian version of the burger but definitely a lot spicier. Boiled, mashed potatoes are made into patties, coated and mixed with green chilies, ginger, garlic and a tempering of mustard seeds and turmeric. These balls are then dipped in an herb-seasoned batter made with gram flour, then it is deep fried. The finished vada is then wrapped in bread and served with mint, coriander or coconut chutney, red chili powder or green chilies (sometimes fried and salted).
Pav Bhaji- Pav denotes a certain type of fluffy bread and bhaji is vegetable. This bhaji is a mashed preparation with its base made of tomatoes. A variety of boiled vegetables are added to this base with onions, garlic, ginger and dry powdered spices. Dollops of butter is added and constantly mashed. This is cooked on a large Tava or hot plate. It is served with raw onions, lemon slices and mixed pickle.
Ragda Patties- Ragda is white peas. This is boiled and tempered with spices. Patties made of potatoes are prepared separately and added to this. Tamarind pulp chutney, sweet date chutney, green chilly chutney and finely chopped onions and coriander leaves are added with a dash of lemon juice.
Aloo Tikki Chaat- This is very popular chaat as well. Boiled potatoes are mixed with bread and deep fried. To this spicy, sweet and sour chutneys are added. Then sprinkled with onions, coriander and sev.
These are the basic street food or chaat commonly found in most Indian cities. So give it a try, experience a new sense of sensory gratification, exuberance to the taste buds and share your experiences with us.
©Nayna, 2007-2008. All Rights Reserved.
Self Motivation-An Easy Guide To Happiness
September 10, 2008
Down in the dumps? Feeling blue? – Who hasn’t experienced these phases in their lives? How do these feelings go away? Some drink coffee, others get a haircut, some chat up with friends and soon those thoughts drift away.
Feeling low is normal but how to come out of it is essential. If people continue to feel like this every single day then it could lead to depression.
Depression is a silent killer that lurks so sinisterly that most people cannot see it coming. Once it latches on, it takes over completely. At times, people need to get help from specialists who instruct them to take regular medications.
Self motivation is the best way to revive yourself. No one can understand you better than your own self and can pinpoint what exactly would work for you. Of course, there are professionals who can give guidance. But self analysis will make you independent and confident of your own abilities.
Knowing what you need and what is best for your progress is personal. There are plenty of self-help books available that can only guide you of the possibilities but the ultimate decision is your own.
Tips On How To Keep Yourself Motivated:
1) List your aims and goals in life. It could be a short term goal like losing five pounds or a long term ambition to become a CEO.
2) Develop a positive outlook.
3) Be realistic in your approach.
4) Monitor your progress. Keep a check on how well you are targeting towards your goal.
5) Pay attention to the people around you and acknowledge their love and affection.
6) Make time for yourself everyday.
7) Keep weekends for activities that you always wanted to do but never thought you could do them. It could be painting or learning a musical instrument, dancing etc.
8) Indulge in treatments that make you feel pampered, like a day at the spa, exotic wraps and special facials.
9) Exercise regularly even if it is a twenty minute walk. Practice breathing exercises.
10) Never lose hope. If you feel you are about to give up, seek solace in your faith. It will always guide you.
Self motivation is the key to your own happiness and no one can steal that from you.
©Nayna, 2007-2008. All Rights Reserved.
Bade Ganapati Temples Of Indore And Ujjain
September 5, 2008
Seeking out Lord Ganesh’s temple in every part of India has become an integral part of my life. I have been very fortunate to travel across many religious and pilgrimage centers to seek his blessings.
My quest for divine realization took me to Indore and I was in awe. Indore is a wonderful city to explore. Not many add this cultural hub in their itinerary maybe because it lacks the glamour and westernization of metropolitan cities. This progressive city retains the glories of Hindu culture. We are nothing without our heritage, is what I personally believe.
The word “Bade” denotes large, enormous and by the looks of the size of the idol of Lord Ganesh, he is gigantic. Bade Ganapati in Indore stands twenty-five feet tall and radiates exuberant orange color. His magnificent form makes his devotees automatically fall at his feet. Shri Dadhich had dreamt of Lord Ganesh and built this in 1875.
It is said that this idol is comprised of several elements like bricks, lime stone, a mixture made from jaggery and methi (fenugreek) seeds. The soil was collected from the seven Moksha Puri’s such as Ayodhya, Mathura, Maya, Kashi, Kanchi, Avantika and Dwarka. The mud was accumulated from the stables of elephant, horse and cow. Along with this powder of Panch Ratna or five gemstones like heera, panna, moti, manek and pukhraj (diamond, emerald, pearls, rubies and topaz) and holy water from several places of pilgrimage were mixed.
This temple houses idols of various gods and goddesses along with a magnificent idol of Panchamukhi Hanuman. This was truly a unique form where he was standing tall and I could see his five different faces as I went around him-Parikrama or Pradakshina.
So the next time, you feel lost or in the crossroads of your life and need to get away. Choose such destinations which will automatically elevate you to a level that you can only blissfully experience.
©Nayna, 2007-2008. All Rights Reserved.
